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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301883">What a Snowball Can Do For the Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonluster/pseuds/Moonluster'>Moonluster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! GX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternative Timeline, Crushing, Gift Fic, Happy Ending, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Winter Themes, admitting feelings (eventually), alternative timeline to the canon, and things are normal, first (published) work in this fandom, first work for this pairing, freak snow shower, gx rivalshipping, internalized homophobia (a little bit), it doesn't snow in that part of japan but whatever, it's my fic i can do what i want lmao, jun being dramatic, saying things they didn’t mean, warm hugs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:27:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonluster/pseuds/Moonluster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rating for minor language. A series of events and a wrongly-thrown snowball pushes Jun to confess his long-held feelings for his friend and used-to-be rival, Judai.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Manjoume Jun | Chazz Princeton/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Morning of the First Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonWolfZero/gifts">DragonWolfZero</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Merry Christmas to my wonderful brother, Wolf! I know you kinda already saw this but I thought; "why don't I give it to you as a Christmas present?"</p><p>Everybody: please watch for his upcoming works--he is an awesome writer! I wish I could say more but I think it would ruin the surprise of everything lol.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first day of winter break. After a few days of waiting for the final exam results, everyone was eager to go home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost </span>
  </em>
  <span>everyone. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jun had been told he wasn’t welcomed home after the disgrace he caused his brothers recently (and proving to be a family failure by dropping out of Duel Academia for 3 months), and so was to stay on the island all month. He couldn’t lie; it’d stung to hear such a thing, but he knew better than to disobey--again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All that aside, he was more than content to sleep in for once.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, his body wouldn’t let him have that luxury. He groaned at the ceiling when he checked his alarm clock, which told him he’d woken at 7 in the morning--as per usual during school. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>As he laid there, irritated before he was fully awake, he noted his room was a bit chillier than usual--based on how cold his toes and the tip of his nose were. He shivered underneath his heavy comforter, bringing his feet up to slip under it, and brought it around him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Might as well catch some more sleep while I can...” he yawned and buried his face beneath his covers. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Yet again it was to no avail. An hour had gone by and he was incapable of falling asleep, aside from a light snooze. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Not that he would’ve been able to continue, because there came a horrendously loud set of knocks at his door. He started, curling into himself, then growled under his breath. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Who would have the guts to--</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oiiiii, Manjoume! Wake up, sleepyhead! You have to look out the window right now!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Damnit! Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course,</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was Judai!</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jun turned toward the door while laid down and shouted, “it’s Manjoume Thunder! By the way, you shouldn’t be slamming on people’s doors at 8 in the morning on the first day of break! Let me sleep!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The knocking stopped, and Judai whined in that annoying way he did that made Jun unable to resist his demands, “awww, but you’ll miss the snow that’s falling right now! But I guess if you’d rather sleep, I’ll let you snooze through it...” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>Snow? </span>
  </em>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Had Judai finally reached the max level of idiocy possible, even for him?! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It doesn’t snow in this part of Japan--stop being stupid,” Jun bit back, sitting up and fully irate.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He was ready to strangle the brunet for waking him up so rudely and spouting stupid crap on top of it. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Look out your window. I’m not lying!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jun growled under his breath, turning to look out his window while sitting on his bed, and his eyes widened at the sight. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way </span>
  </em>
  <span>this was happening! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It might be volcano ash...” he muttered to himself as he stood on his bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai was mindless enough to not be able to tell the difference, Jun thought for a moment. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He approached the window, leaning on his massive headboard for support and to see out the window better. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Sure enough, there was an overcast of white above the island, and white flakes gently falling from the sky. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For once, he had to admit that Judai wasn’t as stupid as he usually was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not that it wasn’t endearing in some ways...but...</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He crossed the bed and jumped onto his couch, then got into a position where he could open the door for Judai. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was met with a beaming grin, “hey there! What did I tell ya?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun’s expression flattened and he fixed the grinning brunet with a narrowed glare, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span> found out for myself before you so </span>
  <em>
    <span>rudely </span>
  </em>
  <span>pounded on my door.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Judai smiled widely as he brought a hand to rub the back of his head, turning slightly pink, “sorry...”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jun shook his head and growled, “in any case, what did you want other than tell me it’s snowing?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, well, I figured...since you didn’t go home for the break because of your brothers...” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jun sneered at that but said nothing. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“...We could spend some time doing fun things for the month? Shou stayed, too, but the others went home; Misawa, Asuka, Fubuki, Ryo...all of those guys. So it’s just us three out of the group.” </span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Since </span>
  <em>
    <span>when </span>
  </em>
  <span>did I become part of this ‘group’?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Secretly, Jun was happy at the thought that he had a place in the camaraderie that had formed in the past year or so, but he would rather die than admit it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Just like...</span>
  </em>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Judai interrupted this thought, “since you dueled me, that’s when! Everybody is my friend, as long as they want to be.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hmph.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, breakfast is soon. Catch ya down there!” Judai turned to leave, waving at Jun with a grin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun practically turned green at the thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t that he hated the food--it was actually fairly edible, though not nearly as good as the Obelisk Blue food, or the food he had back home--it’s just that it was the same old, tired things at almost every meal, with little change. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Sometimes, he’d had the strangest combinations--like putting Tabasco sauce on rice--to liven it up. He had no idea how the others put up with it day after day; </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially </span>
  </em>
  <span>Judai, who seemed to enjoy it the most.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At one point Jun thought he must have the taste profile of a dog since dogs eat anything presented to them; even if it was the same exact thing every day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai must’ve seen Jun’s face, because he reassured him, “it’s better on the breaks.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun nodded minutely, averting his eyes, and turned away from Judai, finally replying, “see you.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He closed the door, the cold that had been seeping in finally registering. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He shivered, moving to and reaching for his black coat with the ragged hem, slipping it over his shoulders and wrapping it around himself as he sat back on the couch, left alone with his thoughts and feelings that had come up with Judai’s unexpected visit--which he normally kept hidden. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He leaned forward with elbows on his knees, cradling his head in his hands. He felt like yelling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then came a shrill voice that was as high and obnoxious as someone who’d inhaled helium, though it held concern, “are you okay, Bro?” </span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Jun could bring himself to be profane, he would curse at the constantly annoying little Ojama Yellow spirit, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it right now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed and answered honestly, “I don’t know.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I don’t think he got enough to sleep,” Black commented. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Green chimed in, “True, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>stay up kinda late.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed more like they were talking to each other than to him; he was okay with that. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Y’know...if you like him, why don’t you just tell him?” Yellow suggested kindly. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jun straightened as he scoffed, “are you stupid? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why </span>
  </em>
  <span>would I do that? Do you remember how that went for me </span>
  <em>
    <span>last time</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yeah, but Judai is different,” Green added. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Black nodded, “very different.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun grit his teeth and waved an arm in the air, which had the Ojama Brothers dodging the swat with indignant cries, “all of you, shut up! Don’t talk about such stupid things.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ah--we just want to help you, Bro! We don’t want to see you upset!” Yellow cried. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun brought his hands to his head and clenched his fists, pulling at his hair, and finally yelled--voice cracking, “I don’t want to think about this right now! That idiot Judai is...” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He stopped in the middle of his sentence and stared at the floor, having what felt like a mini-crisis as he thought carefully about what he was going to say. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>“Just a friend.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“A friend.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And something else he would never </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare </span>
  </em>
  <span>put words to, even in his mind. Otherwise, it would become real, and he would have to admit to it being a possibility. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He’d rather drown in the ocean before that ever happened--and he’d been close one time!</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jun took his hands away from his head, shaking it to clear his thoughts, “I need to go eat. Don’t talk to me for the rest of the day.” </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He quickly dressed in his usual attire and headed out the door, hearing the whining of the Ojama Brothers, which were promptly shut up when he closed the door behind him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. After Breakfast, the Snowy Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As Judai had promised, the menu for that morning’s breakfast was significantly different, and Jun enjoyed the change immensely. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost </span>
  </em>
  <span>made up for that morning’s incident.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey, so I have a list I want to share with you guys--or, more like Jun, because Shou already knows,” Judai piped up once he finished his meal. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun looked to Judai, watching as the other dug into his pants’ pocket, finding a crumpled piece of paper. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He unfolded it, putting it on the table between the three of them so Jun could also read, but Judai was going to read them off anyway. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, let’s see...it’s a rough draft so we can add more as we go. ...‘bake cookies’, ‘play some games’--Misawa let me borrow some of his board games while he’s off the island--‘go down to the beach and roast some marshmallows over a fire and tell stories’, ‘play Duel Monsters’, ‘watch scary movies’, and uh...I think that’s it so far.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai left the list on the table, and Jun sipped at his cup of milk, teasing playfully, “that’s all you could come up with? Not to mention they’re all a bit lame.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai whined playfully, “well, I ran out of ideas! Gimme a break.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, give Bro a break. Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>have any ideas?” Shou glared pointedly at Jun. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“There’s always the hot spring,” Jun suggested casually, taking another sip of milk. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai’s eyes widened, “I didn’t think of that! That would be good too since it’s cold out right now. Oh--and we should start the break by doing some stuff in the snow! I wonder if the other guys would be interested in doing a snowball fight.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun wondered while Judai talked; what </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>they do for a whole month without getting utterly bored eventually? Not to mention, this was the first time Jun wasn’t at home for a break. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How did anyone who lived at Duel Academia year-round pass the time? Maybe he’d find out this month. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A month...that suddenly sounded like </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much time</span>
  </em>
  <span> when put in perspective.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After breakfast, Judai asked Professor Daitokuji if they could use the kitchen to make their cookies--Judai had gotten the dry ingredients from home in the mail--and Daitokuji agreed, as long as they made enough to share with anyone who wanted them. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shou protested, “that doesn’t seem fair; Big Bro and his parents took the trouble of getting the ingredients, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>the ones making them.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To which Daitokuji gave his cat-like smile and replied coolly, “it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>fair, since you’re using the Osiris Red kitchen, and therefore it comes from all the people who live here. Makes sense-nya?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun silently agreed with Shou but knew it was best not to argue about it--besides, he didn’t have the energy for it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll worry about it later. Besides, I don’t mind sharing!” Judai smiled brilliantly back at them, and Jun’s cheeks warmed at the sight of it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, let’s get outside--the others are already out there making snow forts!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going out there until I get some appropriate clothes on,” Jun stated as he trailed behind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Shou added. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I guess I’ll just start making a fort without you guys!” Judai exclaimed, opening the small cafeteria’s door, dashed out, and threw himself into the slowly piling snow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun and Shou stepped outside, watching as Judai yelled and quickly got up, holding himself with eyes wide, “ahh! I completely forgot how cold and wet this stuff is! I guess I gotta get some warm things on, too!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two other than Judai exchanged a glance, and their simultaneous snicker erupted into laughter. They turned to go up the stairs to their rooms--Jun wasn’t going to change in his because it was too cramped, but he still had to get his stuff. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Guuyyss,” Judai shivered, running behind them, “it wasn’t funny! I’m seriously cold now...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>In Shou and Judai’s room (Hayato had once inhabited it too but now the third bunk was empty since he had gone to Industrial Illusions to pursue his dream of making card art)--while getting dressed, Jun and Shou teased Judai.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Serves you right for throwing yourself into the snow,” Jun smirked as he laced up a pair of warm, waterproof boots. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai frowned as he threw a heavier coat that he borrowed from Jun over his shoulders, “I live in the city; it’s not like it snows </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>much there.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Still, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>have remembered that it’s wet and cold!” Shou teased, slipping woolly gloves over his hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a couple of minutes of quiet and the shuffling of clothes, Shou announced his departure from the room, “Well, I’m gonna go out there now. I’ll be waiting!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He made his way out and closed the door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun and Judai were now alone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun’s heart thundered in his chest at the thought. If there was a time to say anything, now might be the time...but it also seemed wholly inappropriate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Overall, he wasn’t sure how to bring </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>up with Judai.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>”It”, being his pesky feelings that he’d somehow grown and--heavens forbid--</span>
  <em>
    <span>maintained </span>
  </em>
  <span>throughout the past year. He hadn’t noticed them until recently and was mortified when he realized it.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>At one point, he’d looked at himself in the mirror and shouted, “you idiot! Why did you have to go and like </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Judai</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of all people! </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He’d liked Asuka, sure, but she couldn’t comprehend his feelings and obviously didn’t feel the same way. It’d hurt like nothing else when he realized it, but eventually, he was able to mend his heart and “move on”. He’d still kept those hopes and dreams inside though, his hopeless romanticism in reserve, just in case someone else came along and stole him away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...and then, it happened. This time, not for any girl--not even a rehash of his feelings toward Asuka; which had happened countless times since the rejection--but somehow his feelings had started pointing...toward Judai. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jun thought it was impossible; vulgar, even. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why on earth would anyone want to do that? What sort of guy falls in love with another guy?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, no matter how much he told himself he was wrong for even daring to think of maybe, possibly, doing the same things he’d thought of for Asuka, with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Judai</span>
  </em>
  <span>...the thoughts never ceased. Neither did the way his heart raced when Judai had occasionally touched him in a friendly way, or the way his skin pleasantly burned and craved the same contact. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He’d dreamt of those smiling lips on his; warm and...soft? (Would a guy’s lips be soft like a girl’s?) Of holding hands while sitting on the beach, of calling him an idiot in an affectionate way when he said something funny yet stupid, of Judai calling him ‘Thunder’ in a certain voice when he did something romantic for him...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wanted all these vagrant thoughts to stop. He'd even gone so far as to try and shut them away. Yet, it had all been a miserable failure in the end. When alone, he couldn’t stop thinking that maybe...just maybe...even with all his attitude and false bravado, and the way he couldn’t get himself to stop calling people stupid, even when he didn’t mean it...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It would be possible for the two of them to be together. They’d conquer the world. It was a beautiful image in his mind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was also ridiculous, and he could be done with it if he just hit his head hard enough.</span>
  <em>
    <span> That</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be a better idea. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You okay, Thunder? You looked kinda pale. Well--pale-</span>
  <em>
    <span>er </span>
  </em>
  <span>than normal,” Judai’s voice broke through his hazy thoughts. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He shook his head briefly and bit back, half-joking, half-bitter, “and you’re acting </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>-er than normal. I’m fine.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, just thought I’d ask. Y’know...since we’re friends and all that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The way he </span>
  <em>
    <span>said </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was enough to make Jun throw himself into a snowbank. Maybe he’d freeze away his feelings, too.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun resisted the urge to storm out and do just that, but it would look ridiculous, for one, and two, Judai would probably come to find him and ask him what’s wrong. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Of course, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Judai</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the problem, and he could say it; but he didn’t want to, because then he’d have to...</span>
  <em>
    <span>confess</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So instead, Jun said nothing, hoping his silence would make Judai change the subject. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Judai stood, admiring himself in the mirror in the corner of the room--he’d squirreled it from someone in the Ra Yellow dorm with the help of Misawa, “if today is like the rest of the month, then I’m really looking forward to it!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank goodness</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Jun thought with an internal sigh of relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun stood up off the bed and made his way to the front door, “Well, I’m ready when you are.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai followed suit, smiling at Jun while he said, “hope you’re ready to be beaten in the most epic snowball fight in the history of this school!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The young Manjoume chuckled, “it’ll be </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>who gets beaten, idiot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The chill of the outside greeted them when Jun opened the door, heart racing with anticipation.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Snowball Fight That Went Wrong (AKA: Jun lost the fight with the snowballs and his feelings)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The air was crisp, sharp, and perfectly chilled. The snow was still falling, though less now, and somehow sticking to the ground. This allowed the small number of Osiris boys to have success with building snowmen, snow forts, and ice huts. Some were already chucking snowballs at one another. Raucous laughter and chatter echoed in the air. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun and Shou had taken to building a fort of their own, and once it was sufficient--at least to Judai, he decided it was time to call everyone in the hopes they would get in on the little game he was planning. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey, everyone! Stop what you’re doing--I have a fun game idea that we can play with this snow!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Most everyone in the immediate area heard him and briefly stopped their activities to give him their attention. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun normally was the one who called to get everyone’s attention, but he was alright with Judai doing some of the callings for once. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai raised a finger in a point, up toward the sky--was he </span>
  <em>
    <span>copying </span>
  </em>
  <span>him?!</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun stumbled and fell on his butt on the ground, but quickly got back up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s called,  ‘Extreme Snowball Fight’. Two teams, each with a captain. We’re on opposite sides of the ‘field’, and you can’t cross past a certain line. If you get hit with a snowball--you’re out. The last person standing on their team’s field wins the game for their team!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shou leaned into Jun and muttered, hand cupping the side of his mouth, “Sounds more like dodgeball, but with snowballs...” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun nodded in agreement, though he wasn’t going to object.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The other boys immediately took the idea, and many wanted to be captain. This is where Jun stepped forward and his voice rang through the air as he shouted, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>will be captain! There is no one else more capable of such a task!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai looked at him and smiled, “that’s a great idea, Thunder! Go ahead and pick your guys first.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun glanced back at him from a side-eye, turning his chin up with a competitive smirk, “I will. Get ready to face a miserable defeat, Judai.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Even in something as simple as this, Jun wanted to triumph over Judai. The thrill of the challenge, of facing Judai on the other side, always got his heart racing. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>...</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A few minutes later, Judai and Jun had a (mostly) equal number of boys on each side of the field.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Judai added two additional rules just before the game began: no groin shots or hitting someone with a snowball while they’re making one. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>With everyone in agreement, the game of ‘Extreme Snowball Fight’ began. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>As usual, Judai was slippery and dextrous. Jun was focused on trying to get him ‘out’, while also dodging snowballs by the others on the other team. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re not gonna get me </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> easily, Thunder!” Judai laughed in the crystal clear air.  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun’s lungs were painful, stinging with each inhale of sharp crystals of snow and wintry air. His heated breaths turned to condensed, white clouds with every huff and pant. His eyes were dry, and his heart was pounding in his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At some point, while taking the advantage of getting behind a few on his team, he shucked off his coat and threw it into the snow outside of the ‘field’; he was getting too hot to tolerate it anymore. Otherwise, he was on the front line at every opportunity, and eventually, it was just him and Judai. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They stared each other down, snowballs in each of their dominant hands, tense and waiting for the other to make </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> kind of movement. Judai’s brown eyes were alight with the flame of a challenge, hungry for a potential victory. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He taunted Jun under his breath with a small, quiet laugh, “it’s gonna be </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of us...better make a choice.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not moving from this spot,” Jun informed him with a smirk. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>They stood there, barely twitching a muscle, still as statues. The air was heavy and tense, and the other boys who were “out”, including Shou, were watching intensely, waiting to see which captain would be the winner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, the chanting began, each team for their respective captain. The cheers and jeering fueled Jun, but he knew that moving now would mean he was done for--Judai was far quicker than he was and would inevitably win, but he wasn’t willing to admit defeat, yet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As this staring contest went on, Jun was becoming less wary of his body and surroundings, and more aware of the way Judai was </span>
  <em>
    <span>looking </span>
  </em>
  <span>at him. Had Judai ever looked at him like this before--outside of their duels? Was it possible that Judai had some kind of secret feelings for him, the way Jun did? </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>No, that had to be just his imagination. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way</span>
  </em>
  <span>...</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>But, his traitorous heart proposed, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>...what if there is? What will you do then</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Die, I guess,” he answered aloud, unaware until Judai shot him a confused look.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What was that? Are you telling me to die, Thunder? I knew you hated me, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> much!” He laughed, tossing the snowball in his hand and catching it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t hate you. In fact...I...</span>
  </em>
  <span>like</span>
  <em>
    <span> you.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Well, that’s what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>would’ve </span>
  </em>
  <span>said, were it not for the fact that the moment he moved to throw his snowball at Judai, he saw stars and black flashes, and felt a sudden, acute pain that branched from his nose, forehead, and upper lip. It was freezing cold at first but then burned like a hot fire. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were cries all around, a blur of faces, and the sound of the boys asking him if he was okay, to which he couldn’t answer. The sudden strike and agony had left him unable to speak.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>By the moment he regained his sight and a fragment of logical thought, he realized he was in the ice-cold snow, and it was melting into his clothes, touching his skin. He’d fallen from the impact--and he was staring right up at the person who’d struck him with that damn snowball. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was something warm and metallic-smelling dribbling from his nose; blood, Jun realized with mortification and sat erect, head pounding as soon as he did so. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Someone put his coat over his shoulders and he had the cognition to pull it around him, shivering intensely.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thunder! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hit you in the face!” Judai cried. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He was kneeling close by Jun with hands out, ready to help Jun if he fell back or unconscious. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun, who’d been lovestruck and hopeful not more than a moment ago, felt all those feelings combust into a chest-burning rage, fraught with betrayal, upon looking in the wide, brown eyes of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiot </span>
  </em>
  <span>who’d so </span>
  <em>
    <span>carelessly </span>
  </em>
  <span>struck him. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Get away from me!” He screamed, flailing an arm or two as he stood to his feet in a stumbling hurry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>At the sight, the boys who’d surrounded him were quickly dispersing, murmuring among themselves. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shou cried, “Thunder, calm down! It’s okay--we’ll get you to the infirmary.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He ignored Shou and glared down at Judai, wobbling ever so slightly on his feet, “what was </span>
  <em>
    <span>in </span>
  </em>
  <span>that snowball?! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ice</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! A </span>
  <em>
    <span>rock</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He sniffed hard, and brought a hand up to pointedly wipe at his nose, exhaling and staining his fingers with blood and thrusting his palm pointedly at Judai, panting from pure anger, “look what you did! Was this part of your ‘game’?!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I...n--” Judai stuttered, eyes still wide.  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Jun shrieked, “the next time you want to do stupid shit like this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>invite me! You do nothing but ruin my life, even now! </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>the reason why I’m stuck here...” he trailed off, unable to formulate any further sentences.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>In the back of his mind, he recognized he would regret that statement later--because it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>true--but right now, the agony in his face and heart had overcome him. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>His lip trembled as he glared down at Judai, tears at the edges of his eyes with a hot pressure behind them--whether because of the injury or the tears, he couldn’t tell and he didn’t care. </span>
</p>
<p><br/><span>Then, he ran. As fast and far away as he possibly could. Away from the situation, the others, the game, from that </span><b><em>idiot</em></b> <em><span>Judai, </span></em><span>and most importantly...from himself.</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jun had run to the docks, a bit far away from the Osiris Red dorm. There, he sat at the edge, just above the water, staring down at the oscillating waves that slapped against the concrete wall. <br/><br/>His nose eventually stopped bleeding, and the stinging, burning feeling of the snowball seceded to one of a pulsing, pounding sensation, and it was painful to put even the slightest amount of pressure against the front of his face. He’d attempted to make ice from the snow nearby, but more or less he just made his clothes wet and chilly.  <br/><br/></p><p>Once Jun had calmed down and he could think and see clearly again, he realized how badly he’d reacted back there, and what he said. <br/><br/></p><p>He brought his knees up to his chest, holding them with his arms, chin resting on them as he stared at the horizon of the ocean, heart aching. <br/><br/>“I wish I hadn’t said that...I didn’t mean it at all...” Jun murmured aloud, resisting the urge to bury his face into his knees. <br/><br/>He was also freezing, between sitting out in the cold and being in semi-wet clothes, it must’ve been a couple of hours since the incident. </p><p> </p><p>Yet, he didn’t want to face Judai. He wasn’t sure if he could stand the idea of having to apologize--and by extension everyone else, since they were witness to his outburst.</p><p> </p><p>“...Hey Thunder.” <br/><br/>Jun gasped quietly and spun around to look back at the person he was <em> just </em>thinking about. </p><p> </p><p>He observed the way Judai’s brown eyes beheld him with empathy, and if he looked a little closer--guilt. <br/><br/>Jun turned back to face the ocean and muttered, “...what do you want.” <br/><br/>“Well...I came to apologize. I didn’t mean to hit you in the face that hard. Plus...I guess it had a rock in it.” <br/><br/>All of this was enough to make Jun want to cry.</p><p> </p><p>At first, he didn’t reply, exhaling into his knee, where warmth bloomed and dissipated quickly. <br/><br/>“Can I sit next to you?” Judai asked. </p><p> </p><p>Jun rested the side of his cheek against his knee, “sure, whatever.” <br/><br/>He heard the shuffling of Judai moving snow away and seating himself on the edge close to Jun. <br/><br/>It was quiet for a moment--enough silence and time to make Jun want to burst. He knew he needed to make amends, tell Judai he didn’t mean what he said, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. <br/><br/>“...hey, did you mean what you said when you said I ruined your life?” </p><p> </p><p><em> Great. </em> Judai had taken that to heart. That made the situation <b> <em>so</em> </b> <em> much better... </em> <em> <br/></em> <em> <br/></em> <b>Not.</b></p><p> </p><p>Jun decided to throw his stubbornness to the wind and just say it. He might ruin their friendship like this, but hell, he’d already done such a <em> fantastic job </em> doing that already--why not finish it off? <br/><br/>Not facing Judai, he answered, “no. I didn’t mean it. Any of it.” <br/><br/>He could feel Judai watching him intently, and it propelled Jun forward as the words flowed from his heart. <br/><br/>“I might call you stupid and an idiot, and all that stuff, and scream at you like I just did...but...the truth is,” he pursed his lips, eyes darting about, swallowing reflexively. <br/><br/>He took a deep breath and announced with a pounding heart, “I...I like you!” </p><p> </p><p>There was a stunned silence. <br/><br/>Jun, unable to take it, continued babbling, “when we were playing the snowball game, I saw you looking at me a certain way and I wondered if you had similar feelings, but--” <br/><br/>He was interrupted by a forceful body against his, the sudden warmth of that body, and arms pressing around him as best as they could. Judai’s head was on his shoulder, almost buried in his neck. </p><p> </p><p>The contact immediately had Jun burning all over, with lightning crackling from his heart that rippled through his veins. <br/><br/>It was like two puzzle pieces coming together--something Jun had no idea he needed to feel. <br/><br/>He wasn’t sure if he should move to turn into Judai and return the embrace or stay the way he was sitting. </p><p> </p><p>Judai pulled away for a moment, which gave Jun the opportunity to finally switch positions and wrap his arms around the other, burying his face in his shoulder--ignoring the tender ache of it--, the tears from earlier making a cruel comeback. </p><p> </p><p>“Thunder...”<br/><br/>“Jun,” he insisted, his breath warm against the other’s coat. </p><p> </p><p>“...Jun,” Judai chuckled, “I don’t know if I quite feel the same way, but I do know that I like you, in a way.” <br/><br/>Jun’s brow knitted, meeting Judai’s gaze, “what does that even mean?” <br/><br/><em> Do you like me back or not? </em> <br/><br/>Judai’s arms pressed around Jun again and he brought him close, murmuring in a quiet voice that warmed all of Jun despite his shivering, “I like you too, that’s what it means.” </p><p> </p><p>Jun sighed, closing his eyes and putting his face gently back into Judai’s shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>“...Idiot.” </p><p> </p><p>Judai laughed, holding Jun tighter to him, “you must be cold after that. I wasn’t aiming for your face intentionally, you know.” </p><p> </p><p>Jun nodded minutely, though he was too choked up to speak. </p><p> </p><p>“The next time we play something like that, I’m gonna make a third rule; ‘no face shots’.” </p><p> </p><p>Jun couldn’t help but chuckle at that. </p><p> </p><p>Judai, for all his idiocy at times, was always kind to his friends--sometimes, he felt he didn’t deserve it, but he was secretly grateful for it. </p><p> </p><p>“Judai...” Jun finally was calm enough to speak, “I’m...I’m so--I’m sor--”</p><p> </p><p>Judai hummed, waiting for Jun to say it clearly. </p><p> </p><p>Jun squeezed his eyes shut and growled under his breath; how hard <em> was it </em> to apologize? </p><p> </p><p>“I’m...sorry.” <br/><br/>There. Finally. He did it. Now he could be rid of his crappy guilt about it. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re alright,” Judai reassured him, “I understand why you did it.” </p><p> </p><p>It occurred to Jun that they’d been hugging for way longer than was normally acceptable, but he was so cold--and Judai was so warm--he couldn’t bring himself to care much. <br/><br/>Besides, who was watching? Hopefully, no one. </p><p> </p><p>Judai was the first to pull away--he must’ve realized it, too, but he held Jun with a kind gaze and an even kinder smile that had Jun shed more tears at the sight of it and bring a sleeve up to cover his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Does it still hurt pretty bad?”</p><p> </p><p>Jun nodded, shame filling him. He’d never cried before anyone and it just <em> had </em>to be Judai when it happened. </p><p> </p><p>“Here, let’s get you back to the dorm. We called the nurse a little while ago and she’s waiting there now.” </p><p> </p><p>Jun rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled, then cleared his throat, “...okay.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re gonna be okay,” Judai reassured, standing and offering a hand to Jun to help him up. </p><p> </p><p>Jun looked up at Judai, then turned away, taking his hand and pushed himself up; legs shaking and numb from the cold and from sitting too long. </p><p> </p><p>As they walked, Judai had an arm against Jun’s upper back, guiding him along and comforting him. He also talked to help distract Jun from the throbbing in his face and head. </p><p> </p><p>Jun hadn’t realized it until then, but Judai truly did care for him the way he did the others, and while he felt he didn’t deserve it, he was still happy to have someone who liked him and cared about him like this; maybe even more so since Judai had returned his feelings. </p><p> </p><p>It was more than he could’ve asked for...from anyone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The End!!! Hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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